Outer sole for boots and shoes



Aug. 25, 1936. M. H, SHULMAN OUTER SOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES Filed March 18, 1935 Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OUTER sOLE' Fzi z zT s SHOES Maurice Harold Bhulman, slum, Mus. A Application March 18, 1935, Sfl'ltl N0. 11,702

This invention relates to a novel construction of an outer sole for boots and shoes which incorporates certain preventive and corrective orthopedic features into its-unit make-up.

Many children develop at different perlods'of their growth, a condition known as "weak-foot" results. At the same time, contraction occurs which ultimately prevents the resumption of the normal posture.

After this" condition has appeared, it has been cared for in the past by exercise; by rising and walking on the outer borders of the feet; by placing auxiliary supports to accomplish this result on the inside of shoes; and by expedients of like nature.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved sole for shoes worn by children from infancy to adolescence and later, which will tend to avoid and prevent the difllculties heretofore 'experiencedvby forcing the wearer to carry more of hisfi eight on the outer border of the feet tosuch a". gree thatthe muscles on the inner side of the not (the tibialls anticus) are shortened and the peroneal group of muscles lengthened, thus giving arch.

In accordance with my invention there is produced a shoe which automatically trains the wearer to walk correctly, by exercising and strengthening the muscles necessary to preserve the normal arch of the foot. It is preventive as .well as corrective. No measurements or adjustments other than proper size of shoes are necessary. It is normally constructed at a relatively small increase in cost. .No additional detachable corrective devices need be used. It is comfortable, and in its perferred embodiments is normalv in its exterior appearance, and not being constructed of metal, preserves the life of the shoe.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear from the following description of preferred embodiments illustrative of the invention and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which, I

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic skeleton view of a child's shoe in combination with my sole.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of a sole illustrating the principle of my invention.

Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are transverse sectional lhoe of the children's type, showing in solid lines better support to the 4cm. (case-as) a sole, IQ, for the improvement of which my invention is particularly, but not exclusively, adapted. and in. broken lines an upper, H, of usual form suitably attached thereto; Figure 2 illustrates'the orthopedic principle involved, while Figures 3 through 6, are typical, transverse sectional views of preferred embodiments of shoe soles according to my invention, each taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sole at a point where the improvements of my invention may be applied, with the inner, or greattoe edge of the sole indicated by the letter "G", and the outer, or small-toe edge. indicated by the letter 8''. g

The embodiment of Figure '3 incorporates principles of my invention without reference to abnormality of appearance of the resulting shoe to which the improved soles may be attached; while the embodiments of Figures 4, 5, and 6 illustrate preferred forms of the invention applying the principles thereofin a manner to obtain a finished shoe of normal exterior appearance also having other advantages.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawing, the sole therein shown comprises a top surface 2 l--22 and a base or ground contacting surface 28-24, and is characterized in that the top surface 2|-22 is uniformly and obliquely inclined, from the greattoe edge 2| to the outer-edge 22, reducing the sole uniformly from its full normal thickness 21-23 determined by the angle of inclination given to.

' .plished by a single, uniformly inclined, splitting or skiving of the entire top surface of the sole, giving it a predetermined rake throughout its area. The sole thus formed is then attached to an upper, as H Figure 1 in any usual or preferre manner.

In order to facilitate and improve the provision for attachment to the upper, various steps may be taken, a particularly simple one being shown in Figure 3. As illustrated therein, the uniformly and obliquely inclined plane top surface of the sole 3i--32 terminates inward y of the inner and outer edges of the sole; there eing flat substantially level surfaces 3 l--35, and 2 -36 I at the respective edges of the top surface 3l--32, parallel to the base 33-34, and to which the upper may be readily fastened in any usual or preferred mannen This form of sole may be readily derived from-fiat leather or other stock of a full normal thickness equal to the height 33-45, by suitable splitting and skiving operations.

The simplified form of my invention shown in Figure 3 with upper as at l I, Figure 1, secured to its top surface, will exhibit a thick sole-edge at the inner or great-toe side of the shoe, reducing to a thinner sole-edge at the outer or small-toe side of the shoe, and as this non-uniform thickness presents problems in manufacture and an abnormal appearance in the finished product, my invention contemplates further improvements as illustrated in the preferred embodiments shown in Figures 4 through 6, respectively, which obviate this abnormal appearance and at the same time produce additional advantages as will further appear.

Referring to Figure 4. the embodiment therein shown embodies a top surface ii- 12 uniformly and obliquely inclined, as in the previous embodiments, and terminating short of the inner and outer edges of the sole 45 and 46 as in the embodiment of Figure 3. However, in contradistinction to Figure 3, in this embodiment of Figure 4, the border-surface 454la is cut down at the inner side of the shoe a depth dl-flla to render the inner edge 43-45 substantially the same height from the base 43-44 as the outer edge 44-46, this reduced apparent sole-thickness preferably being carried symmetrically, if not entirely uniformly about the full exposed edge of the sole. With this construction the orthopedic benefit of the uniformly and obliquely reduced sole of my invention is attained without any external abnormal appearance of the sole, and in addition, a thin edge 43-45 (44-46) as would be presented by a light, flexible sole, may be obtained while attaining the support and longevity of a heavier, more rigid and less easily distorted sole, which, as a result of this feature combined with the inclination of the top surface ii-42, will not show local wear at the ball of the foot nearly as soon as would a thinner sole of flat top surface which would be subject to local bulging fromthe improper application of weight to it through the anterior end of the great metatarsal bone.

In a further embodiment of my invention, Figure 5, uniformly of appearance and a deep, wearresisting sole edge is attained, producing a sole particularly suited for older children, of comparatively light weight, having the orthopedic advantages of my invention, and at the same time providing maximum resistance to tearing off of the sole and edge-wear and edge-turning of the same as results from scuffing, dragging and kicking of the shoes against sidewalks and like hard or abrasive surfaces. In the preferred embodiment of Figure 5, which embodies the uniformly and obliquely inclined upper surface 5|-52 and the base or ground contacting surface 53-54 as in the previously described forms, this added desirable end is attained by elevating the border area, 52(1-56 at the outer or small-toe edge of the sole to a height substantially equal to that of the border area 5I-55 at the great-toe edge of the sole, which may be readily accomplished, in the preferred embodiment shown, in the case of a leather sole or the like, by leaving the border area of the full normal thickness of the stock from which the sole is formed.

In the last illustrative embodiment of my invention, Figure 6, again the base 6364 and uniformly obliquely inclined top surface til-62 are similar to these in the other preferred embodiments of my invention, but in this form the border portion Bla-lili at the great-toe edge of the sole is dropped down a distance 6 I---6 II at below the edge 6| of the inclined portion of the [ii-G2 top surface, and the border-portion Ciliaib is elevated a distance lit-62a above the e f? of the inclined portion of the top surface bring the entire border portion 6ia65 (62a-- 6) into substantially the same intermeei 1: plane presenting a sole-edge 6365 (ii l 5) of material thickness to resist wear, but of a less thickness than that of Figure 5, in proportion to the average thickness of that part of the sole lying within the border, to present a more dressy effect. As before, the border portion film-455 (Ma-66) is of sufiicient width to allow the uppers. of the boots or shoes to be fastened thereon, and preferably extends symmetrically of the same thickness about at least the ball area of the srle, and preferably about the heel area thereof also, at least in the case of a so-called heelless shoe of the type shown in Figure 1. As in the case of the other embodiments disclosed, the improved sole of this form may be shaped from leather stock by skiving, splitting and rabbeting or'any of the several forms shown or modifications thereof falling within the scope of my invention may be stamped or molded from rubber fibre or cosrnposi: tions.

In the following claims the word shoe" is used in a generic sense, applicableto shoes, boots, sandals and other foot-coverings comprising an out-sole and an upper.

Having described preferred embodiments illustrative of my invention, I claim:

1. A shoe comprising an outer sole and an upper secured thereto; said outer sole having a foot underlying portion integral therewith uniformly and obliquely tapering off in thickness of the sole from adjacent the great-toe edge to adjaeent its small toe edge, and having peripheral border portions, to which the upper is secured, with top surfaces substantially parallel to the ground contacting surface of the sole and lying in substantially the same plane on both the great-toe edge and the small toe edge of the sole, said peripheral border portions having bottom surfaces lying in the plane of the ground contacting surface of the sole.

2. A shoe comprising an outer sole and an upper secured thereto; said outer sole having a substantially plane ground contacting surface and a transversely outwardly inclined substantially plane foot-underlying top surface forming a uniform angle with the ground contacting surface, and having border portions on the top surfaces of which the upper'is secured, said top surfaces of said border portions being substantially parallel with said ground contacting surface, and lying in substantially the same plane on both the great-toe edge and the small toe edge of the sole, said peripheral border portions having bottom surfaces lying in the plane of the ground contacting surface of the sole.

3. A shoe according to claim 2, said border portions being of less height than the inner or great-toe edge of said inclined plane surface.

4. A shoe according to claim 2, said border portions being of greater height than the outer or small-toe edge of said inclined plane surface.

MAURICE HAROLD SHULMAN. 

